Ground anchor for mobile homes

ABSTRACT

A ground anchor for securing mobile homes includes a planar portion and a U-shaped member interlocking the planar portion of the ground anchor to prevent movement thereof.

United States Patent Cooper et a1.

GROUND ANCHOR FOR MOBILE HOMES Inventors: Robert J. Cooper, 4906 W. Amelia;

Homer A. Dozier, 5519 W. Glenrosa, both of Phoenix, Ariz. 85031 Filed: Jan. 17, 1972 App1. No.: 218,306

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l959 Mazur 52/158 [451 May 7,1974

Vaile 52/156 Price 52/153 Shankland 52/23 Mcllvane 52/158 Howell 52/1'54 Schultz 52/ 154 Docter 52/148 Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-H. Gordon Shields ABSTRACT 2 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures GROUND ANCHOR FOR MOBILE HOMES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to ground anchors, and more particularly, to ground anchors for securing or anchoring mobile homes.

2. Description of the Prior Art When the term ground anchor is mentioned, the most common apparatus immediately thought of is a wooden or metal peg, relatively thin with respect to its length, and which may or may not include an eye at its upper extremity to which is secured a rope, chain, or cable, to which an item is fastened that is to be anchored. The peg is by far the best known of the ground anchors and is perhaps the easiest to use and least expensive type of ground anchor. Its commonness and its inexpensiveness and its ease of use are all derived from the fact that it is relatively simple in design, comprising a slender straight or slightly tapered rod. The fact that it is simply a slender rod is also one of its chief disadvantages with respect to its ability to anchor or secure a substantial mass. The fact that it is slender lends itself to readily being extracted by either a direct pull outwardly along its axis or by a lateral pull in any direction. This is particularly so when the ground or soil in which it is located is either relatively sandy or is wet or water soaked. Its slim configuration does not present much area to oppose a pull in any direction.

Other types of ground anchors have also been employed, such as using a plurality of such rods to anchor a mass from a specific point at several directions. A plurality of rods are separately spaced about a single fastening point on a mass and a separate line or cable, or the like, is secured between the point and each one of the rods. Such redundancy about or for a single securing or fastening point obviously compounds both the expense and the time involved in fastening the mass.

Different designs of ground anchors have been developed over the years, such as corkscrew type pins, comprising helical coils, which must be literally screwed into the ground. One obvious difficulty with such type of ground anchor is the effort that is required to impart rotary motion on such a ground anchor configuration. Ground anchors for any size of mass must be of a commensurate size in order to adequately support or hold the mass. If a corkscrew configuration is used to secure a relatively large mass, such as a mobile home, the size of the corkscrew, including the diameter of the material out of which the anchor is made, and the diameter of the coils and the overall length of the anchor, requires a substantial amount of effort in screwing such an item into the ground.

Other designs include securing a pair or rods at right angles to each other underneath the surface of the earth. Problems inherent in such design are obvious, such as the difficulty in placing both rods underneath the ground, and, again, the small area of the rod or rods presented to the earth in opposition to movement of the mass to which they are secured.

The problem of ground anchors is most acute in the mobile home business. In recent years the growth of mobile homes and mobile home parks has increased greatly. With such phenomenal growth has come a problem which is almost inherent with the very advantages of such mobile homes. Mobile homes are generally light, fabricated out of steel or aluminum tubing with aluminum siding, and/or other such lightweight materials, and are generally of a rectangular box-like configuration. In order to be "mobile" the homes are light enough to be moved with some degree of ease, or without the problems attendant with the moving of a solid structure, fabricated of wood and stucco, or brick, or block. Thus the very inherent nature of the mobile home makes it rather susceptible to damage by high winds and other similar adverse weather phenomena.

The manner in which a mobile home is generally situated is also a contributing factor to susceptibility to wind damage. A mobile home is usually set on a plurality of posts or pillars, which may be made of wood, bricks, concrete, or more commonly of cement blocks. The various sizes and dimensions of mobile homes renders it difficult and impractical to build a universal foundation. Accordingly, a space is prepared in a mobile home park or court for each individual structure. Only after the dimensions are known, or the mobile home is located ina particular space, can the foundation be prepared therefor.

In many cases mobile homes are merely set on the concrete block pillars or supports without any additional means of securing the home to the adjacent ground. In other cases, typical ground anchors, as discussed above, are used to secure a structure at corners and/or intermediate points by use of cables or chains or the like. Regardless of the prior art methods of supporting and anchoring the mobile homes, they are generally quite susceptible to structural damage by high winds, and to being blown off their supporting pillars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The method and apparatus for anchoring a mobile home or other large mass, as described and claimed herein, includes a ground anchor which comprises a pair of cooperating parts with a large planar surface substantially perpendicular to the direction of force from the mass or the mobile home.

Among the objects of the present invention are the following:

to provide a new and useful ground anchor; to provide a new and useful ground anchor for a mobile home;

to provide a new and useful method for anchoring a mobile home;

to provide a new and useful method for ground anchoring a mass;

to provide new and useful apparatus for anchoring a mass to the ground;

to provide new and useful ground anchor apparatus which includes a locking member;

to provide new and useful ground anchor apparatus having interlocking members; and

to provide new and useful ground anchor apparatus having planar surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a schematic representation illustrating-the ground anchor of the present invention secured to a mobile home.

FIG. 2 is an embodiment of a ground anchor.

FIG. 3 is a view of a ground anchor locking member.

FIG. 4 is an alternate embodiment of the ground anchor of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an alternate embodiment of the ground anchor of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an alternate embodiment of the locking member of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is an alternate embodiment of the ground anchor of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of the ground anchor and locking member.

FIG. 9 is a view of another embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of ground anchor apparatus in the environment of a mobile home. The ground anchor apparatus is used to anchor or to secure the mobile home. Mobile home 2 includes a pair of longitudinally extending structural members 4 and 5. A pillar 6 is used to support the mobile home off the ground. Connecting means 8, which may comprise turnbuckle apparatus, or any other appropriate apparatus, extends between structural member 4 of the mobile home to a ground anchor 10. The connecting apparatus is shown extending between the structural member and one end of the ground anchor 10. The connecting means 8 extends from the ground anchor at about a 90 angle. The end of the ground anchor to which the connecting means is secured is slightly above the surface of ground 7, with the greater part of the ground anchor extending into, and lying beneath, the surface of ground 7. Locking member 20 extends at substantially a right angle, or 90 degrees, to the ground anchorFI and helps prevent lateral movement of the anchor and also prevents the anchor from creeping out of the ground, due, perhaps, to vibration. The locking member 20 is relatively near the top portion of the ground anchor which is above the ground, and it extends beneath the surface of the ground. A plurality of ground anchors may be used to secure a mobile home to the ground to keep the mobile home from moving in high winds, or the like, and to stabilize the mobile home or structure on its supporting pillars.

FIG. 2 comprises a view of ground anchor 10. The ground anchor includes a rod 12 to which is secured a stabilizing blade or plate 16. At one end; the upper end, of rod 12 is an eye 14, and at the other end, the rod tapers to a point '15. The eye 14 serves as a connecting location or point for connecting the anchor to a mass, such as a mobile home or the like. The point 15 serves or functions to aid in the emplacing of the ground anchor beneath the surface of the ground. The stabilizing blade or plate 16 is in the general configuration of a triangle, with a pair of edges 17 tapering inwardly toward the point 15 of the rod. The plate or blade 16 may be secured to the rod in any appropriate manner, such as by welding. The plate may also be fabricated as a pair of blades, with each of the blades being secured to the rod diametrically opposite each other and disposed in the same general plane. r

The point 15 and the tapered edges 17 allow the rod and the plate to be driven into the ground with a minimum of resistance being presented to the ground along the plane of the plate and the axis of the rod, which lies' in or adjacent the plane of the plate. However, once in place in the ground, with just the eye of the rod at or slightly above the surface of the ground, the blade 16 then presents a planar surface area to the ground except along the axis of the rod. If any force is applied to the eye at generally a right angle, or at about or greater, from the plane of the plate, the plate offers substantial resistance to movement of the ground anchor. The ground anchor accordingly provides support or stabilization to any load or mass to which it is secured.

With respect to the mass, such as the mobile home illustrated in FIG. 1, and the connecting point on the mass to which the ground anchor is secured, the ground anchor should preferably enter into the ground at an acute angle with respect to both the mass and the ground. Thus the line of force between the mass and the ground anchor is preferably at about 90 or more to the plane of the ground anchor measured from the eye of the rod to the point of the rod. In turn, this offers maximum resistance to movement of the ground anchor. If the line of force between the mass and the ground anchor is at less than 90 with respect to the plane of the ground anchor, the resistance of the ground anchor to force decreases as the line of force approaches the axis of the rod, which is the zero degree point with respect to the plane of the ground anchor.

FIG. 3 comprises a pair of views of a locking member, in which the views are at substantially right angles to each other. Locking member 20 is in a generally U- shaped configuration, with a pair of parallel arms 22 connected by a cross member 24. The arms 22 extend from the cross member 24 and each terminates in a point 23. The point aids in driving the cross member into the ground by reducing the resistance on the locking member. The locking member 20 is used to prevent lateral movement or displacement of the ground anchor 10 in the ground. The locking member also prevents movement of the ground anchor outwardly along its axis, that is, the axis of the rod, due to vibration. If the line of force at the connecting point on the ground anchor between the axis of the rod and the mass or structure to which the ground anchor is secured is greater than 90, the ground anchor may in time vibrate out of the ground. The locking means substantially prevents such vibrational movement. The arms 22 of the locking member are inserted through apertures 18 of ground anchor 10 after the ground anchor has been driven into the ground and is in place. The locking member is then preferably driven into the ground at substantially a right angle to the plane of the ground anchor, as shown in FIG. 1. Once in place, the locking member becomes a locking pin to prevent a lateral movement of the ground anchor. While the ground anchor 10 presents substantial resistance to movement along a path perpendicular to'its plane, the resistance of the ground anchor to movement along its plane is much less. Accordingly, the ground anchor or locking pin 20 is used to increase the resistance .of the ground anchor to movement in its plane laterally and also along the axis of the rod 12.

FIG. 4 comprises an alternate embodiment of the ground anchor of FIG. 2. The ground anchor of FIG. 4 includes a pair of planar surfaces or blades rather than the single surface or blade of FIG. 2. Ground anchor 30 includes a rod 31, with an eye 32 at one end and a tapered point 33 at its opposite end. A triangular shaped blade 34 is secured to the upper portion of rod 31 adjacent the eye 32. The blade 34 includes a pair of inwardly tapering edges 35 which terminate along the rod at a distance above point 33. Another triangularly shaped blade or plate 36 is secured to rod 31 beneath blade 34. The blade 36 includes a pair of inwardly-tapered edges 37 which terminate adjacent point 33. A pair of apertures 38 extend through upper blade 34 on opposite sides of rod 31 and adjacent upper edge 39 of the blade. The apertures 38, when the ground anchor is in place, receive a locking member, such as locking member 20 of FIG. 3.

The ground anchor of FIG. 5 is similar to the ground anchor of FIG. 2, but it differs from the ground anchor of FIG. 2 in that it is adapted to be used with a different locking member from that disclosed in FIG. 3. Ground anchor 40 includes a rod 41, with an eye 42 at one end, and a tapered point 43 at its other end. A planar surface is presented by a triangular shaped blade 45 which is secured to rod 41. The blade 45 includes a pair of inwardly tapered edges' 46 which terminate adjacent point 43. A pair of elongated slots 48 are disposed on opposite sides of rod 41 and extend through blade 45. The slots 48 are located in the upper portion of blade 45 adjacent upper edge 47 of the blade. The elongated slots 48 receive a locking member which includes a pair of planar surfaces, such as shown in FIG. 6, to give increased stabilization to the ground anchor assembly, when the ground anchor and its locking member are both in place.

FIG. 6 comprises a pair of views of a ground anchor, in which each of the views is substantially at right angles to the other. Locking member 50 comprises a pair of arms 52, substantially in parallel alignment, connected by a cross member 54. The arms terminate in points 53. Each of the arms 52 includes a triangular shaped surface 56 secured thereto. The triangular shaped blades 56 include a pair of inwardly tapering edges 57 which terminate adjacent points 53. The planar surfaces 56 are substantially parallel to each other, and at right angles to the plane of the arms 52 and the cross member 54.

Locking member 50 is used with a ground anchor, such as ground anchor 40 of FIG. 5. The arms 52 with their blades 56 are inserted through elongated apertures, such as apertures 48 of FIG. 5, and the locking member is then driven into the ground at substantially right angles to the planeof the blade 45. The tapered edges of the blades of the locking member offer less resistance as they are being driven into the ground due to their configuration, and the planar surface of the blades presents an increased resistance against movement of the locking member except to a force along the axis of the arms 52. Thus, once in place, the locking member 50 becomes a locking pin to lock a ground anchor against lateral movement.

FIG. 7 comprises another embodiment of a ground anchor similar to the ground anchor of FIG. 4 but including a pair of elongated slots, such as shown in FIG. 5, to receive a locking member as disclosed in FIG. 6. Ground anchor 60 includes a pin 61 with an eye 62 on one end and a point 63 on the other end. A pair of triangular shaped blades 64 and 66 are secured to the rod. The upper plate 64 includes a pair of inwardly tapered edges 65 terminating at the rod above point 63 and above blade 66. Blade 66 includes a pair of inwardly tapered edges 67 which terminate adjacent point 63. Upper plate 64 includes a pair of elongated slots 68 on opposite sides of rod 61 adjacent upper edge 69. The slots 68 are elongated as required to receive the blades of a locking member, such'as blades 56 of locking member 50 of FIG. 6. Upper blade 64 is preferably larger than lower blade 66, although they may be the same size, if desired.

FIG. 8 is an isometric view of a ground anchor with its locking member or locking pin in place. The ground anchor 30, of FIG. 4, and the locking member 20 of FIG. 3, together comprise ground anchor apparatus to securely fasten and stabilize a mass against vertical or lateral movement.

FIG. 9 is a side view of another embodiment of the present invention on a reduced scale. Ground anchor includes a rod 82, a top plate 86, and a lower plate or blade 88. Rod 82 includes an eye 83 at one end and a point 84 at the other end. Top plate 86 is preferably of triangular configuration, similar to plates 16 or 45 of FIGS. 2 or 5, respectively, which tapers inwardly towards point 84 of rod 82. The plate may include a pair of apertures, also similar to either apertures 18 or 48 of FIGS. 2 or 5, respectively, for receiving a locking pin such as disclosed in FIGS. 3 or 6. Plate 86 may be secured to the rod in any appropriate manner. If desired, the plate may comprise a pair of blades, each of which is secured to the rod.

A blade 88 extends from plate 86 and rod 82, to which it is secured, in a plane preferably at a right angle to the plane of plate 86. The blade 88 is of triangular configuration and it includes an edge 90 which tapers inwardly towards point 84 of rod 82. The blade opposes lateral movement of the ground anchor by presenting a planar area at substantially a right angle to the plane of plate 86.

If desired, plate 86 may comprise a pair of blades which are disposed in other than a planar orientation. Blade 88 may then be disposed at an angle intermediate the pair of blades. Moreover, the plate 86 and blade 88 may each comprise a plurality of plates or blades such as disclosed in FIGS. 4 or 7.

The disclosed ground anchor and the method of using the ground anchor to secure mobile homes or other masses fully achieve the recited objects enumerated for the invention. While the principles of the invention have been made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components used in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements, without departing fromthose principles. For example, it is obvious that various configurations of plates may be used, and, if desired, more than one or two planar surfaces or plates may be secured to a rod. As indicated, the plates may be attached or secured to a rod as a unit, or each plate may be configured into two portions and each portion may be secured to a rod diametrically opposite each other. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, within the limits only of the true spirit and'scope of the invention. This specification and the appended claims have been prepared in accordance with the applicable patent laws and the rules promulgated under the authority thereof.

7 w A p g 8 What is claimed is: a V W I Said mBanS; D Em" l. A ground anchor for emplacement beneath the a pair of apertures extending through said first plate surface of the ground, comprising, in combination: means;

a rod having a first end and a second end; locking means, comprising a U-shaped pin, extending first platemeans having a planar area connected to through the pair of apertures in the first plate said rod means; means for locking the ground anchor beneath the second plate means having a planar area connected surface of the ground.

to said rod means, and said first plate means and 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the locking .seiisswnd ,eleta ve n e e vtwerdlyir m mse sia qsaa R mf p eneasurfq 

1. A ground anchor for emplacement beneath the surface of the ground, comprising, in combination: a rod having a first end and a second end; first platemeans having a planar area connected to said rod means; second plate means having a planar area connected to said rod means, and said first plate means and said second plate means extend outwardly from said means; a pair of apertures extending through said first plate means; locking means, comprising a U-shaped pin, extending through the pair of apertures in the first plate means for locking the ground anchor beneath the surface of the ground.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the locking means includes a pair of planar surfaces. 